Caprera

Caprera

Location: Italy (Sardinia Magdalena Archipelago)
Type of village: tents then huts.
Year opened: 1956
Year closed: 2006/2007

A little history: The village opened in 1955. It is not Mediterranean but Magical.
Jacques Giovannoni, an Italian-French architect, on behalf of the "Village Magique" club, sent a request to the mayor of La Maddalena, Pietro Ornano , for a concession, for a renewable period of twenty years, for land located north of the island of Caprera called "Pine Forest of Garibaldi" and "I Chiusi", in order to establish a village capable of accommodating 300 people with the assistance of the provincial tourist office.

This request caused a stir and reached the ears of General Ezio Garibaldi (grandson of Giuseppe Garbaldi) as indicated in his letter of April 27, 1955 to the mayor of La Maddalena,

 » In the newspapers, I learned the incredible news that, on the island of Caprera, we would like to create a sort of entertainment village to welcome the masses of tourists, especially during the summer season: all for profit.
I would be very grateful, Mr. Mayor, if you could give me precise information that would guarantee me whether so many desecrations on the most sacred island for Italians are true or not. Please accept my warmest thanks.
General Ezio Garibaldi.”

The village opened in June 1955, decked out in the colors of the Magical Villages. At the end of their stays, the villagers parted ways and promised to meet again the following year on the island of 132 coves, especially since a project to expand the village was planned. 

The merger or takeover of the Magic Village by Club Méditerranée took place at the end of autumn 1955.     

The village was first presented to GMs in the January 1956 issue of Trident under the title "Club Island." For the first three years, GMs slept in tents. It wasn't until 1959 that the first Polynesian huts arrived in the village. The following year, Caprera presented a completely new face. 

Caprera has long remained one of the club's star villages. It has been awarded several Oscars for the best village of the year.

1957 The horse and the sail.

Caprera became a mecca for water sports. Water skiing was first tried in 1956, but the activity was quickly discontinued due to strong winds. Scuba diving and sailing would go on to establish the village's reputation.

Another activity, this one on land and unexpected, was born in 1957. That year, the village welcomed the Club's first riding school. It was set up in the large meadow at the back of the pine forest.

In addition to these activities, numerous excursions, bivouacs, and odysseys are offered. The village also has a branch village in Cala Volpe.

On July 21, 1979, part of the village caught fire during the afternoon. 80 huts were affected. Nearly 300 GMs lost everything.

Caprera closed its doors in 2007. During the last 2 years of its operation, it was intended exclusively for the Italian market.

The journey

The first departure in the Club's colors took place from Gare de Lyon in Paris on the evening of May 26, 1956 by special train. A stop in Rome then boarding a boat to Olbia, then a car and then a caique. 

The following year, the Club offered GMs, for an additional cost, a rail+air travel option. Special Paris-Marseille train, then boarding a seaplane. This option was also offered to GMs for Corfu, Paleokatritsa and Cefalu. It was abandoned the following year for Caprera. As for Corfu, Paleokatritsa and Cefalu, they were served by air from Paris.

Village Chiefs

Many people have succeeded one another at the helm of the village during the fifty years that it has existed.

Robert Metraux was the first of them in 1956, Jean Balandjian, Pops, René' Hallemans, Avner, Czopp… Angelo Nuara closed the village in 2006.

And today.

Since 2007, when the village closed due to the non-renewal of the concession, the site has been abandoned and no longer maintained. The huts are collapsing. Vegetation is reclaiming its rights. Images of what remains of the village are circulating on social media. They are sad to see.